Spent lithium ion battery (LIB) recycle from electric vehicles: A mini-review

Electrifying transportation through the large-scale implementation of electric vehicles (EVs) is an effective route for mitigating urban atmospheric pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and alleviating petroleum-derived fossil fuel reliance. However, huge dumps of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have emerged worldwide as a consequence of their extensive use in EVs. With the increasing shortage in LIB raw materials, the recycling of spent LIBs has become a fundamental part of a sustainable approach for energy storage applications, considering the potential economic and environmental benefits. In this mini-review, we will provide a state-of-the-art overview of LIB recycling processes (e.g., echelon utilization, pretreatment, valuable metal leaching and separation). We then discuss the sustainability of current LIB recycling processes from the perspectives of life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic feasibility. Finally, we highlight the existing challenges and possibilities of LIB recycling processes and provide future directions that can bridge the gap between proof-of-concept bench demonstrations and facility-scale field deployments through mutual efforts from academia, industry, and government. It is expected that this review could provide a guideline for enhancing spent LIB recycling and facilitating the sustainable development of the field.